My final mock draft---10 day out division.

[NC Raven]

I'm also not totally sold on trading up for Honey Badger. His highlight reel screams a young Ed Reed, but his drug concerns are still a bit of a red flag, and his size at CB is a bit concerning. If he's there at our natural 3rd, I'd grab him though.

Mathieu had 4 picks in 2 years of college. That is all I am saying.

[RavenScallywag]

Mathieu had 4 picks in 2 years of college. That is all I am saying.

11 forced fumbles...6 recoveries...2 TDs.

[GreatWhiteNorthRaven]

Without projecting trades (there are obviously going to be some trades somewhere), here are my picks:

1. (32): DeAndre Hopkins, WR, Clemson
2. (62): DJ Swearinger, S, South Carolina
3. (94): Travis Kelce, TE, Cincinnati
4. (129): David Quesenberry, OT/OG/C, San Jose
4. (130): Gerald Hodges, LB, Penn state
5. (165): Kwame Geathers, Georgia
5. (168): Luke Marquardt, OT, Azusa Pacific
6. (199): Joe Kruger, DE, Utah
6. (200) Brandon McGee, CB, Miami U
6. (203): Steve Beauharnais, LB, Rutgers
7. (238): Quinton Dial, DT, Alabama
7. (247): Braxston Cave, C, Notre Dame


Hell yeah, that is one shit load of depth and a ton of competition for TC.

I really like this. Beauharnais is a great sleeper. I'd prefer somone like Reddick over Hodges, but Hopkins, Swearinger and Mardquart are some of my favorites. Don't love the Kelce pick. Would rather entertain the idea of another ILB or someone like Barrett Jones, but great job as always.

Wicked, are you releasing a pre-draft mock? (if you see this)

[rpcfball]

I too don't think Eifert will sniff 32. I would love for that to happen as he would be deadly alongside Pitta for years to come, but I think he's a top 20 pick. I've seen some mocks having him as high as 13.

With that being said I would like to see us go safety or WR in round one. Cyprien or Elam would do as would Hopkins.

Also another late round guy to keep your eye on is Michael Mauti out of Penn state. It's a huge if, but if the guy can stay healthy he's a first round talent at LB. Could be worth a later round pick

Lastly, what do you all think of Terron Armstead? I think he could be a really good tackle and would be worth trading up for in the second round

[bmore finest]

Not bad LukeDaniel, also I want to tell you, your breakdown of the ravens roster thread, Brilliant nicely done, that thread truly made my day. So gald your a Raven Fan. Anyway, I'm super high(not quite yet, lol) on Armstead. I would prefer to get him in second, or better yet the first pick we make. 32 or trade back. But I love the Te if he there.

Either way, I would like to get a Tackle higher then you pick. I really Believe Armstead can be a day one starter at left tackle.

[LukeDaniel]

Without projecting trades (there are obviously going to be some trades somewhere), here are my picks:

1. (32): DeAndre Hopkins, WR, Clemson
2. (62): DJ Swearinger, S, South Carolina
3. (94): Travis Kelce, TE, Cincinnati
4. (129): David Quesenberry, OT/OG/C, San Jose
4. (130): Gerald Hodges, LB, Penn state
5. (165): Kwame Geathers, Georgia
5. (168): Luke Marquardt, OT, Azusa Pacific
6. (199): Joe Kruger, DE, Utah
6. (200) Brandon McGee, CB, Miami U
6. (203): Steve Beauharnais, LB, Rutgers
7. (238): Quinton Dial, DT, Alabama
7. (247): Braxston Cave, C, Notre Dame

Hell yeah, that is one shit load of depth and a ton of competition for TC.

This draft looks different than mine with names but similar in a lot of ways philosophically.

Quesenberry and Jones are similar players. I'm not sure that DQ has moved ahead of BJ on a lot of boards.

Eifert and Hopkins would both fill the same role in 2013 theoretically.

We both saw a TE as a good value early in the draft.

Faulk and Marquardt are similar as well as they are both high upsided LT prospects.

Dial and Cave are basically similar players to Black and Madsen.

[leachisabeast]

This draft looks different than mine with names but similar in a lot of ways philosophically.

Quesenberry and Jones are similar players. I'm not sure that DQ has moved ahead of BJ on a lot of boards.

Eifert and Hopkins would both fill the same role in 2013 theoretically.

We both saw a TE as a good value early in the draft.

Faulk and Marquardt are similar as well as they are both high upsided LT prospects.

Dial and Cave are basically similar players to Black and Madsen.

That was just a quick mock I pulled out of my ass, I really have no clue who the Ravens will draft, but both you and I seem to agree on what positions need depth and I'm pretty sure we agree with most of the prospects anyway.

[leachisabeast]

I really like this. Beauharnais is a great sleeper. I'd prefer somone like Reddick over Hodges, but Hopkins, Swearinger and Mardquart are some of my favorites. Don't love the Kelce pick. Would rather entertain the idea of another ILB or someone like Barrett Jones, but great job as always.

Wicked, are you releasing a pre-draft mock? (if you see this)

Yeah, I kind of get where you're coming from with Hodges, I doubled up on coverage type LBs, maybe I should have taken an AJ Klein or a Reddick in the 4th and Beauharnais where I did to be the athletic LB.

Not a fan of Kelce? He's personally my favorite TE from this class, he reminds me of an athletic version of Heath Miller, and his blocking is really really good. I think Kelce would bring something to the team that we don't really have, which is an all around TE that can do everything, like Todd Heap could do. Don't get me wrong, I'm a big fan of Pitta, but he's more of split out wide type of TE who you want out there as a receiver killing LBs in coverage nearly all the time, because his blocking isn't good at all, but he's a huge threat in the passing game. Kelce could beat Dickson out for the starting TE spot, and having Pitta, Hopkins, Smith, Rice and Kelce on the field in the no huddle would be unstoppable.

[JAB1985]

1(32)-I think at least 5 out of the sextet of Eifert, Elam, Minter, Ogletree, Teo, and Cyprian are all still sitting there at 32 when the Ravens pick. I am of the opinion that Ozzie will trade down into the 2nd round if his options are LBs and Safeties. The one player that the Ravens would target who wouldn't be a trade-down option is Eifert. So, with the 32nd pick, the Ravens select Tyler Eifert, TE, Notre Dame

Eifert makes sense in a zillion ways.

First off, he's arguably the best player out of all the young men mentioned above. He has no red flags in terms of effort, attitude, or injury. His on-field capabilities are proven.

Secondly, he fills a short and long term need. Short term he can help to absorb some of Boldin's role as a guy can who line up wide and go over the middle and make catches in traffic. He also would instantly become the best blocking TE on the team, making him a nice asset on both passing and running downs. Long term, he provides stability at the position in the event that Dickson leaves after 2013 (likely) or Pitta does (less likely, but still possible).

Not thrilled with the early TE because you have to assume that means Pitta goes because investing a decent contract in him and having a 1st round TE on the bench doesnt seem to be the precedent at TE.

2(62)- Safety, inside LB, WR, CB are all still the greatest possibilities at this position. S is clearly the most pressing need with no clear starter to put next to Michael Huff. The Ravens should have plenty of nice safety options at 62 ranging from Eric Reid to Philip Thomas, but Newsome selects the player most ready to step in and start right away. That's DJ Swearinger, S, South Carolina. Swearinger probably offers a little less upside than Thomas, Eric Reid, or projected 3rd rounder Baccari Rambo, but he is the least risky option here. He was a 4 year starter for the Gamecocks who is well-rounded in every aspect of his position. If you are expecting Ed Reed, that's not him. He's not a Pollard-like hitter either. He's simply steady in every area of play. Some would argue that the above description fits a Kim Herring type player and that's not worthy of a 2nd round pick, but Swearinger seems to be trending upward, so if he's still around at 62, it represents a good value.

Id be pretty happy with this. S is a position of need and swearinger is a top 5 at it. Depending on whos available at 32 I could see Safety first and TE or whatever here, but overall id like this pick regardless.

3(pick 88 obtained via trade with Green Bay. Traded pick 94 and pick 199)- This pick is more about BPA than drafting for a targeted position. Ravens pick Tyrann Mathieu, CB, LSU I think if the Ravens want Mathieu, they are either toing to have draft him at 62 or trade up in the 3rd. I don't think he's there at pick 94. Love him or hate him, you have to admit that he's got some undeniable talent. I do have durability concerns for him playing the slot in the NFL, but his on-field abilities are perfect for the Ravens. He is a guy who can play right away as the nickle/dime back and would be an instant upgrade over the inconsistent Chykie Brown. He's also a superb tackler, and pairing him with Graham/Webb/Jimmy Smith/Huff would give the Ravens arguably the best tackling secondary in the league. Baltimore would have a love affair with Mathieu if he can resemble the player we saw in 2011.

Im not on the mathieu band wagon. I think he plays like he lives, undisciplined. so as much as hell make the splash play, he misses some of the easiest. coaching could certainly change that, but with his off field issues i just dont see the value here, especially to trade up for, which i doubt wed do for a player with a troubled past than wait to see if he drops to them.

4(111, from Miami, for pick 129 and 165)- Ravens select Barrett Jones, OG/C/T, Alabama It's hard to envision Jones slipping this far, but there are concerns about where he can start in the NFL. Also, it is appearing likely at this point that he will start the year on the PUP, missing the first six games of the year. That will scare teams off, but not enough for him to fall to 129, thus necessitating the need to move up and draft him. The Ravens have a deep enough roster and enough patience to recognize what a nice addition Jones would be to the franchise long term to let a short-term injury slow them down.

love this pick, id even like it if we just did it earlier to make sure we get him instead of hoping he falls. Going back to the last pick, its more likely theyd trade up for a guy like this, than a troubled player like mathieu.

4(130, supplemental)- With their 4th straight SEC draftee, the Ravens take Chris Faulk, OT, LSU. Faulk missed all of 2012, hurting his draft stock immensely. Had Faulk had a healthy junior year to match his 2011 sophomore year, we'd be talking about Faulk as the 4th cornerstone LT of the draft, along with Joekel, Fisher, and Johnson. Injuries drop him 3 1/2 rounds from where he would have likely have been taken. In all truth, I think it's probably a less than 50% probability that Faulk reaches this pick in the draft.

another player id be willing to take slightly earlier. I think Faulk gives us one of the highest upsides this late in the draft. with Jones and Faulk back to back we infuse some youth and talent. I like both players a lot.

5(168, supplemental)- Kevin Reddick, MLB, North Carolina- Good athlete who should help on special teams and might even have value on passing downs immediately.

i think hes a boom or bust pick but could fit exactly the role you lay out. Not sure if he lasts to the end of 5, but i think hed be worth the pick for sure.

6(200)- Levine Toilolo, TE, Stanford Toilolo is a massive sleeper. He's probably a 4th round talent in a lot of drafts, but he slides to the late 6th round thanks to a deep TE class and a limited amount of opportunities at Stanford behind Ertz and Fleener. Yes, this gives the Ravens four TEs for 2013, but it solidifies the positions for years to come.

I like targeting a TE later in the draft like this as opposed to early, assuming we plan to keep Pitta, which in your draft would allude to us not, imo. I like taking a flyer on a guy that played behind two 1st round TEs.

as far as the last couple picks i like that you added some depth at other positions but really its such a crap shoot late that i dont have much opinion on who or even what to take besides BPA.

Overall i like your mock a lot. I think id be pretty pumped for the future and to see how fast Faulk and Jones can acclimate so one can either be the starting T or G for us depending on where KO ends up.

[houstonravensfan]

Good mock. Thanks for all the work you've done. Very informative.

Agree with JAB1985 -- worth trading up or using earlier picks to get Barrett Jones and Chris Faulk (or Armstead).

I do NOT follow the draft like you do, but I just don't feel right about Mathieu. Would love to get Reddick and Toilolo as late as you project.

[blah3]

Seems in round 2 is where Ozzie usually takes a gamble and not the player most ready to play now.

[houstonravensfan]

Seems in round 2 is where Ozzie usually takes a gamble and not the player most ready to play now.

And has an uneven record in that round. Cody, Kindle, Adam Terry and others. He more than makes up for it in later rounds, though.